contrivance

/kənˈtɹaɪ.vəns/

//kənˈtɹaɪ.vəns// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"contrivance" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“contrivance” is uncommon English (frequency #68,117 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,117
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A (mechanical) device to perform a certain task.

Corpus desk

Index EN-contrivance · contrivance · English

contrivance · rank #68,117 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,117
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH consignor

Nearest frequency peer: consignor (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “contrivance”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “contrivance” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for contrivance
PropertyValue
Headwordcontrivance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kənˈtɹaɪ.vəns/
Letters11
Frequency rank#68,117
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “contrivance” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).contrivancefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “consignor” (#68,116), “copperhead” (#68,120), “conscientiousness” (#68,113). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “contrivance” is #68,117. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

contrivance is uncommon English at frequency #68,117 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /kənˈtɹaɪ.vəns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for contrivance, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From contrive + -ance. The correct English form is contrivance, spelled C-O-N-T-R-I-V-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A (mechanical) device to perform a certain task.
  2. 2
    A means, such as an elaborate plan or strategy, to accomplish a certain objective.
  3. 3
    Something overly artful or artificial.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how contrivance appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I mean to give something as slight and inexpensive as possible; but I have been so long out of the way of these things, that I am really quite at a loss, and must throw myself on your kindness, as I hope you will be with me, and also Mr. and Mrs. Gooch. You must arrange in such a manner as not to blush for your own contrivances.
  2. And along with each of these go their images, not the things themselves, — they too have come about by godlike contrivance.

Etymology

From contrive + -ance.

This word in other languages

aparato(Español)appareil(Français)Vorrichtung(Deutsch)aparelho(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "contrivance"?
"contrivance" is spelled C-O-N-T-R-I-V-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈtɹaɪ.vəns/.
What does "contrivance" mean?
As a noun, "contrivance" means: A (mechanical) device to perform a certain task.
How do you pronounce "contrivance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "contrivance" is /kənˈtɹaɪ.vəns/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "contrivance"?
From contrive + -ance. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "contrivance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

crowdfunded#68,133Carolingian#68,080disinclined#68,154callousness#68,075

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list